Hi all! I have been selected to judge a GPT this weekend, and one of my assignments is to compose the HJ announcement ahead of time (I'm not the HJ, but I've been asked to do the announcement). I have a question about what I should say to the players regarding the sideboard rule change in M14.

I'm currently located in Japan (the GPT is in Japan, and my announcement is in Japanese, which is why I have to write it ahead of time XD). In Japan, up until now, the custom has been, before game 1 and after sideboarding for each subsequent game, to fan out your sideboard to your opponent so the opponent can verify you sideboarded correctly (i.e. that your sideboard has exactly 15 cards). However, with the M14 rules change, this could lead to the opponent gaining informaton about the player's deck (for example, if you're playing 64/11 and then sideboarding down to 60 for games 2 and 3). What should I say regarding presentation of sideboard in my HJ announcement?

Thanks.

The MTR already has an answer!

Before each game begins, players must present their sideboard (if any) face down and, if requested, allow their opponents to count the number of cards in their sideboard. Players are not required to reveal how many cards they have swapped from their main deck to their sideboard.

Exactly as Sean said. And regardless of the opponent potentially gaining information, the players always have the right (and the responsibility) to ensure that each other is playing a legal deck.

Yeah, I just thought of that after I posted this (but was too far from my computer to post a reply myself). I guess that's fair. I won't say anything beyond mentioning what the new rule is, then.